Samantha Mabey, director of digital security solutions at Entrust, commented: “Now that NIST has finalized three quantum-resistant security algorithms, it becomes increasingly crucial for CISOs to prepare for the quantum computing era. The shift to post-quantum cryptography is more than a technical update; it’s a vital step in protecting sensitive information, and promises to be more complex and time-consuming than anything we’ve seen before.”

Mabey explained: “To prepare effectively, CISOs need to quickly develop a comprehensive cryptographic agility strategy. This means identifying where their most sensitive data is stored, understanding the current cryptographic protections in place, and ensuring they can switch to quantum-resistant algorithms without major disruptions.”

Jamie Boote, associate principal consultant at the Synopsis software Integrity Group, told CSO: “These new NIST standards are all about future proofing the next generation of products. While it’s not likely that quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption algorithms will be common within the next decade, it is very likely that hardware and software with long lifespans may operate in future environments where not running post-quantum encryption algorithms is a real vulnerability.”